


Price of Peace

by Katyakora



Series: Coldwestallen Week [6]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, ColdWestAllen Week, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Multi, also sort of arranged marriage?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 01:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8601052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: Sick of watching her people die in a war with a rival mob, Iris comes up with perfect way to end the bloodshed. Now, she just has to convince the rival mob's heir that it's a good idea.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Coldwestallen Week Day 6: Fake Relationship

On a cool, quiet autumn afternoon, Leonard Snart, son of one of the most feared mob bosses in Central City, had just finished his lunch when trouble walked in. Trouble dressed to kill in a classy red dress and deadly black stilletoes, going by the name of Iris West, daughter of the other most feared mob boss in town. She strode in like she owned the place, her dark eyes focused squarely on him. Len’s best friend and personal muscle, Mick, was on his feet the instant she crossed the threshold, a snarl on his lips and a hand on his holster. Barry Allen, Iris’ foster brother, bodyguard, and according to rumour, boyfriend, smoothly stepped in front of her, the glint of sharpened metal at his fingertips. Len laid a staying hand on Mick’s arm. There was no need for things to escalate. The Paper Lantern was quiet, only two other customers who weren’t paying them any attention. It clearly wasn’t a coincidence that they were there, but he knew she wasn’t foolish enough to attack him in broad daylight with only her bodyguard as back-up, even if rumours claimed he was the family assassin. Mick stepped back with a grunt, but didn’t sit back down. Barry did the same, his knives disappearing up his sleeves once more.

 

“Iris West,” Len drawled, looking her up and down, appreciating how the cut of her dress both emphasised her curves and managed to hide all the weapons he knew she must have on her. “I must say, I am surprised to see you here.” Although it sat firmly in the middle of neutral territory, the Paper Lantern wasn’t exactly in a good neighbourhood.

 

“Barry was in the mood for chinese,” Iris responded glibly. She gave her bodyguard a look and he scowled, but dutifully took a seat at the counter, keeping Leonard’s table squarely in his peripheral vision. Leonard gave Mick a look of his own, and the pyromaniac did the same, although there was a good four seats separating the two. They eyed each other warily, but silently. Leonard raised an eyebrow at Iris, prompting her to step forward and take the seat opposite him. They studied each other for a moment, both cataloguing features and perceived potential weaknesses.

 

“So, are you gonna tell me what you want, or do I have to get my friend over there to beat it out of you?”

 

She didn’t even blink at the threat. “Charming. I wanted to talk.”

 

“So you came all the way down here just to chat with little old me? Careful, you might over-inflate my ego.”

 

“Too late for that.” She rested her elbows on the table and linked her fingers. “I have a proposition for you.”

 

“You do remember that our Families are at war?” he questioned with a raised brow. “Why would I ever entertain any proposal you might have?”

 

The edge of her blood-red lips quirked in a smirk. “Fair enough. But wars are expensive. I’d personally like to see an end to this one. I was hoping we would agree on that, at least.”

 

Len sat forward himself, intrigued. “I’ll admit, we’re not entirely opposed on that front. It’s the ‘how’ of that concept that concerns me. You don’t just end a generations-old feud.”

 

“True. It’ll take patience, effort and careful planning.” Her judging eyes raked him up and down. “You’ve got a reputation for all three of those things.”

 

“If you think anyone is gonna lay down their guns and bury their grudges just because you bat your eyes at them, then you’re not even half as smart as they say you are.”

 

“If you actually think that’s my plan then you’re not half as smart as they say  _ you _ are,” she retorted. 

 

“Then enlighten me.”

 

“We unite the Families.”

 

At the counter, Mick openly snorted in derision, earning himself a glare from Barry.

 

Leonard blinked at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious?” Passive silence answered him. He couldn’t keep the amused smile off his face as laughter threatened to bubble up his throat. “You actually think that you can accomplish that?”

 

“I think  _ we _ can accomplish that,” she replied evenly, unaffected by his derision.   
  


“You don’t think small, I’ll give you that.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “The only thing our fathers,  _ our bosses _ , have ever agreed on is how much they hate each other. We wouldn’t be able to get them in the same room, and yet you want to try and get them to join forces? It ain’t happening.”

 

“Could probably get them in the same room, keeping them from killing each other would be the hard part,” she admitted with a small shrug.

 

“My point exactly. I was under the impression the goal was to end the bloodshed.”

 

“It is. All we need is a good enough reason to make them play nice.”

 

“Which would be, what, exactly?” he prompted, growing tired of the vague circles they were talking in. A dark smile spread across her lips.

 

“The only thing that has  _ ever _ united the families: Blood.”

 

He tilted his head as he eyed her, processing that statement. “Go on,” he prompted, unable to divine the exact interpretation she had intended.

 

“You’re your father’s heir, correct?”

 

“As you are yours,” he responded pointedly. “What of it?”

 

“That would be one hell of a political match, don’t you think?” she asked innocently, looking anything but as she propped her chin lightly on one hand, displaying talons that matched the shade of her lips.  At the counter, Barry’s fists clenched.

 

“You make us sound like royalty.” His eyes narrowed as the extent of her intention blossomed in his mind.

 

“In this town, we might as well be.”

 

“That is...quite a proposal,” he said after a moment’s deliberation, still weighing the pros and cons. If they could pull it off, they would own this city. They’d be untouchable. Unfortunately, that was a big ‘if’.

 

“I’m tired of watching my family die. Aren’t you?” She had a point. It also explained what had pushed her to this, an obviously distasteful scheme. She was willing to shackle herself to a name and family she had been raised to hate, all for the sake of ended the cycle of death and revenge.

 

“Just to make sure there are absolutely no misunderstandings,” he began, studying her response. “...you  _ are _ suggesting we end a generations-old feud...by getting married?”

 

“That is exactly what I’m suggesting.” Her voice and gaze never wavered. Leonard had to admit, he was impressed by her courage. Then again, she had been raised to rule a criminal empire. He felt a smirk shift his expression. 

 

“I’m assuming Daddy Dearest hasn’t got any inkling you’re planning this?” That question earned him a sudden bark of laughter from the counter. Deadly assassin Barry Allen slapped his hand over his mouth and shrunk under Iris’ glare.

 

“Of course not.”

 

“And what’s to stop him from disowning you the second he finds out and making that little brother of yours his successor?” he asked in a drawl as he leaned back in his chair, his shrewd eyes pinning her. 

 

“He won’t,” was the confident reply. “Wally would rather race cars than run the family business and everyone knows it. Besides, I already got Wally on my side. Now, how do I know your dad won’t do the same and favour your sister instead?”

 

Leonard snorted. “Dad’s old school. He’d rather burn everything to the ground than leave a  _ daughter _ running the show.” His tone indicated just how he felt about that kind of thinking. “So, who else knows about this? We’ll have to keep the circle small; this can only work if the rest of the Families are convinced it’s real.”

 

An incredulous smile rose on her face. “So you’re in?”

 

“I’m willing to negotiate,” he corrected. “As long as the terms are satisfactory...well, I can think of worse fates than being married to a West.”

 

“But not many?” she teased with a smirk.

 

“I wouldn’t say that.” His smirk matched hers and he let his gaze catalogue her form in a glance she did not miss. His expression grew pensive. “If we do this, you do realise we’ll have to commit?”

 

“I am aware that’s a part of marriage, yes,” she answered with derision.

 

“That’s not what I meant. This can’t be just some play to cause a ceasefire.” Len leaned forward intently, deadly serious and focused. “This is uniting the Families. If we do this, we’re committing to not only merging our organisations, but to being  _ family _ . And all that that entails.” He paused, letting his words sink in. Iris’ face remained as stoic and focused as his own. “This isn’t something you can go into on a whim. It’s a lifetime commitment, that we will have to see through to the bitter end, even if it blows up in our faces. Do you understand?”

 

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” she stated plainly, her tone and face grave. “I didn’t come here on a whim, Snart. I’ve examined every scenario, looked into every possible outcome. This is the only plan I can think of that even comes close to being win-win for everybody. I know what I’m getting into.”

 

“Do you know what you’re marrying into?”Leonard asked candidly. “Your father may be a piece of work, but everybody agrees that he’s a devoted and caring father. My old man…” He screwed up his face momentarily in distaste. “...not so much. We’re all just soldiers to him. Property.”

 

“I already figured that having Lewis for a father-in-law was going to be the least pleasant part of this plan,” she admitted with a weary sigh. He raised an eyebrow at that.

 

“I’d have thought that would be the inevitable expectation of an heir, so to speak.”

 

Dark eyes caressed his face and the cut of his expensive tailored suit that clung to his lean frame. They rose back up to meet his questioning gaze without shame and a hint of heat. 

 

“I don’t think that’ll be much of a hardship,” she purred. Len couldn’t keep his eyebrows from twitching in surprise, but her expression had already turned hard and cold. “It will only be happening when I’m good and ready, however.”

 

“Within five years.” Any longer and people would start to get suspicious.

 

“No less than three.”

 

“Agreed. Now, to the issue of our organisations…” They traded suggestions back and forth, largely agreeing and compromising easily where required. Honestly, if this conversation was any indication, they had a good chance of actually pulling this off and finally ending this stupid war better off than their respective organisations had ever been. A glint of light caught the corner of his eye, drawing his awareness to the occupied car across the street that hadn’t moved in a while. They were being surveilled.

 

“So, we’re in agreement?” Iris concluded finally. Len looked down at the hand she had laid on the table and hesitated just a moment before locking their fingers. Strangest handshake of his career.

 

“As we’ll ever be. So, what’s our story?”

 

“We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months. Met while out at a club, didn’t recognise each other until the next morning, but by then it was too late and we couldn’t stay away,” she recited impishly. “Mick and Barry have been covering for us, helping keep it a secret.”

 

Leonard’s eyes flicked over to Barry again, who still had his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white. His back was ramrod straight and Leonard was absolutely certain he was hating every second of this conversation.

 

“Is that how you intent to quiet the rumours, then?” he enquired. “A misdirection?”

 

“What rumours?” Iris asked but her eyes were already following his gaze to Barry, who glanced back over his shoulder to meet Leonard’s icy orbs with blazing green.

 

“It’s hardly a secret,” Leonard drawled. “Popular opinion has the two of you walking down the aisle eventually. But if you and I are supposed to be so madly in love we’re rushing to the alter, those rumours, combined with any...activities that may have started them, could seriously harm the credibility of our plan.”

 

Barry and Iris shared a look, apparently neither having considered that.

 

“Fold him in.”

 

All eyes turned to Mick, who was sipping a beer and looking rather bored with the whole conversation.  

 

“Mick?” Len asked him to elaborate, making the big man twist in his seat to address them properly.

 

“It’s simple; you make him part of your little story. Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve had more than one person in your bed, and West is probably more likely to roll with it if it’s both of ‘em.”

 

“But if he’s seeing both of us, why would he be marrying just me?” Iris asked.

 

“‘Cause three people can’t get married,” Mick stated like it was obvious, which it kind of was. “Plus, marrying you means no one’s gonna give a shit if his side piece is also your side piece. And it makes it more plausible that he’d fight for a truce instead of just hiding it. Two people are harder to hide than one.”

 

“That’s true,” Iris said slowly, shooting Barry a hesitant look. It appeared she was hesitant to ask him of the same commitment she was willing to sign up for. Barry’s fists had finally gone slack, his expression a little dumbstruck.

 

“Well, Kid? You’ve heard the stakes and what you’re signing up for. Are you in or are you out?” Len asked, his eyes piercing the assassin with his scrutiny as he leant back in his chair. Barry observed him back, cogs turning behind his pretty green eyes.

 

“I’m in,” he answered finally. Leonard smirked at the younger man’s grim determination.

 

“Are you sure? No doubts that you’ll be able to convince the world that I’m the only man for you?” 

 

Barry swallowed and the barest hint of a pink blush coloured his cheeks. “I’ll manage,” he assured him. Leonard’s smirk widened and he crooked his fingers at him.

 

“Then get over here and get ready to put on a show. The CCPD is watching. Let’s see which of our organisations has the fastest cops on payroll.”

 

“Dad’s gonna know before dinner,” Iris stated smugly as Barry slid into the seat between them, not hesitating at all before taking Leonard’s other hand. “Feel like making a friendly bet?”

 

“Sure, why not?” Leonard drawled, finding he rather enjoyed being subject to the pair’s attention, either in spite of or because of the danger they posed, he couldn’t say. “Already betting my life getting into bed with you two.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually an old coldwest story I started and never finished.


End file.
